The Joy Of Learning

The prepared Environment

The “prepared environment” is Maria Montessori’s concept that the environment can be designed to facilitate maximum independent learning and exploration by the child.

The Montessori learning environment is much different than the traditional model. Instead of information passing from the teacher to the student, the teacher is putting the child in touch with the environment, and helping him learn to make intelligent choices and to carry out exploration and research in a prepared environment. The teacher then protects the student’s concentration from interruption. This fosters a love of lifetime learning in the student.

It is the role of the adult to prepare, and continue to prepare, the environment, to link the child to it through well-thought-out introductions to books and materials, projects, and lessons, which nurture the child’s exploration and creativity. Children thus taught then learn to find answers for themselves.

In the prepared environment, the shelves are carefully arranged and the rooms are well lit with natural light or proper indoor lighting. There are a variety of activities as well as a great deal of movements in this prepared environment.

For example, a three-year-old may be doing counting (L), practice “writing” on sandpaper numbers (R).

while the four-year-old nearby cleaning the glass window (L), practise writing on the blackboard.

and another child is working with a specially designed set of beads.

Practice sweeping with the wood curls(L), cleaning the chair(R)

Real life sweeping.

19 months old doing transfering of buttons from basket to tumbler(L), taking his snacks.

Sometimes an entire class may be involved in a group activity, such as storytelling, singing, silent game, walking on the line or movement.In the calm, ordered space of the Montessori prepared environment, children work on activities of their own choice at their own pace. They experience is a blend of freedom and self-discipline in a place especially designed to meet their developmental needs.

First time visitor never failed to comment about how “quiet” my classroom and how weird this children are working on their own, and was probably puzzled what spell I casted on them.:-) Maybe we expected and accepted the the assumption that children like run around aimlessly, and that is the norm?

Maria Montessori said children prefers work than play, and their can only be their natural self when their natral self is satisfied through work. It’s also through work they acquired the power of concentration and be normalized.

Filed under About Montessori, prepared environment |